Life of a Shadow
by Fearless.Leo
Summary: This the first of four stories, each involving a pairing of TMNT with my OC, Shadow. This is by far the longest. LeoxShadow, Rated M- swearing, violence.
1. Prologue

This is the first of four stories that I am writing with my OC. Basically, each one will feature a pairing. As they go on, they get shorter and less violent, because the pairings I like more are first.

This particular story features the pairing of Shadow and Leonardo. It is going to be multiple chapters, and it is rated M- violence, swearing.

Also, this is based (at the beginning, at least) off the plot of the 2003 series of TMNT, mainly seasons 1-3. There is also a plot point from the 2007 movie thrown in.

9 years ago, the world was unaware of the presence of the mutant turtles that lived under the streets of New York and the powerful man that lived in a large tower in the heart of the city. The Turtles were but tots when they stumbled upon something strange in the sewers- a young girl of 9 years. She was the same age as the young mutants, and she was alone.

Her hair, light brown and cropped short, was matted to her face. Her clothes were ragged to the point of being little more than rags, and her body was broken and battered. Though Master Splinter knew the dangers that humans posed, there was something different about this girl. If his instincts were right, she no longer had a home to return to.

Splinter's assumptions were correct, and the young girl joined their family. Her name was Danika. The Turtles scrounged up some clothes for her, and she started training alongside them. Though she was behind, she caught up to them after a few years. She was with them in every step of life, from birthdays to training. When the time came, she chose her weapon along with the others.

Michelangelo, being the wild and active boy that he was, chose to study the nunchuks further. Donatello chose the simple yet sturdy bo staff. Raphael's short and volatile temper lead him to choose the sais. Leonardo, seeking power, finesse and balance, chose the double katanas. Danika had a harder time choosing. After a bit of deliberation, she, too, settled on the double katana. Her and Leonardo trained often together, advancing together, failing together. Thus, their bond grew strong.

As the Turtles grew, their adventures became greater. With time, they encountered the Shredder. Their first fight ended with him being dropped off the side of a building, along with an entire water tower. Leaving him crushed under the debris, the Turtles went on with their lives. However, the Shredder had other plans.

The Elite Foot, on order of the Shredder, ambushed Leo while on a run one night. He was alone, and he was an easy target for them. It was a quick fight. The entire day, Splinter grew worried about his son and regretted allowing him to leave. Danika was just as bad. Just as her anxiety lead her to the window, with the goal of leaving to search for her beloved leader, Leonardo's near-lifeless body was thrown through a window.

The battle that ensued was one that drove the Turtles to their limits. Danika fought hard to protect Leonardo, while the others fought to survive. They barely made it out alive, and the next day was harrowing for them all.

Leonardo almost didn't make it.

The first words he spoke, though, brought the family back to reality. He was tough: a single defeat wouldn't and couldn't tear him away from his family. Danika stayed by him as he recuperated, and for the first time, she noticed that her feelings were changing. She loved her family dearly, and would do anything for them. The way she felt for Leonardo, however, was something that was reserved only for him. Of course, bringing this up would have, in her mind, only caused chaos in her family, so she let things be.

The days turned into weeks, and then months. Finally, over a year had passed, and it had definitely been full of action. The Turtles had fought the Shredder again, thinking that they had finally defeated him. Of course, they had learned after the fact that he was an Utrom and cutting off the head of his mobile suit had done nothing to him.

Now the family stood, once again, united before the Shredder. This time, it was for keeps. It was all or nothing, and they were not going to let the Shredder win.


	2. The Exodus

This first chapter is basically just a revamp of Exodus: Part 2 and the episodes that follow. It is changed, of course, but the basics remain the same.

"Come on, we need to go now!" Leonardo was shouting orders at his family, pointing towards the Shredder's spaceship. They were all standing on a broken walkway, save for Don, who was clinging precariously to the edge of a doorway on the ship itself. Without waiting, Leonardo leapt towards the ship as it slowly took off, managing to grab his brother's ankles. The others followed suit, creating a hanging chain of bodies. One by one, they all scurried up it, getting inside just as the door clanged shut.

Before they had even left the small antechamber they were in, the ship shook slightly. The G-forces hit them suddenly, sending the entire group crashing to the floor. They stayed there, immobile, for about 20 seconds before the effect wore off. Being that this was the Shredder's ship, it had its own gravitational field so that the inhabitants could easily walk from room to room as they would have done on earth.

Reaching into his bag, Donatello extracted a small, flat piece of technology. He plugged it into an outlet, and the screen flickered to life. "Professor, can you pull up a schematic of the ship? We need to find the main power core and shut this down."

A small robotic face appeared on the screen of the gadget. "Just give me a moment… Here you go." His face disappeared, replaced instantly with a map of the ship. One room was blinking green. That was their destination.

Disconnecting the gadget from the wall, Donatello held it in front of him. "It should be relatively easy to find. You just go down this hall and-" As the door opened before him, he stared into the room. "-there it is."

The room they were staring at was enormous. It was definitely the center of the ship. To one side was a large, blue field of energy. It crackled with life, and let off a weird humming noise as they approached. "This is definitely it. We need to find a way to shut off the power so Shredder can't reach the Utroms. Professor, can you access the main system and get control?"

The robotic voice spoke once more. "Of course, Donatello. Just plug me in." Donatello obliged, turning back to his family.

"Alright guys, we just need to make sure the Professor has time to-" A loud banging behind them made the entire family turn in time to see the door flying open. The Shredder and Karai stepped through, both growling angrily.

"So. Chaplin was right. How did you end up on my ship?" The Shredder's deep voice reverberated in his armor.

Leonardo stepped forward. "It doesn't matter how we ended up here, Shredder. What matters is that we are not going to let you attack the Utroms!" He drew his katanas, stepping in front of the rest of his family. They all followed suit, as did Karai.

As one, they all leapt. The Shredder was instantly swarmed by Master Splinter and the 3 younger Turtles, while Leonardo and Danika moved as one towards Karai. The three sword-wielding ninjas moved as one, attacking and defending in perfect harmony. Thus, none of them got any hits in.

The Shredder, however, was having much better luck. He had already knocked Raphael to the side, sending him crashing into a piece of machinery. The loud cracks that sounded from him and the lack of motion signified the Shredder that he was down and out. He turned as he heard yells from behind. "You fools!" The youngest Turtles had grabbed two sparking wires and were trying to electrocute the Shredder's new techno-body. It was their main problem, and it was definitely a problem since it had been revamped. It now had 4 arms and was huge. As they leapt towards it, however, their hope was ripped from them.

The Shredder grabbed the wires from them, sending them flying with a simple flick of his wrist. Donatello landed on his right arm, the snap of it breaking muffled only by his cry of pain. Michelangelo experienced the same, though it was both of his legs. The Shredder turned towards Michelangelo where he landed, advancing with the wires. Just as he was about to electrocute him, Master Splinter jumped in front of his youngest son.

The smell of burning rat fur was enough, but when adding to the screams of agony and the wrenching of his body, Leonardo was forced to take action. Leaving the two girls to duke it out, he leapt towards his master. Knocking the wires away was easy enough, but that left him open for attack. The Shredder knocked him away just as Danika sent Karai flying off the edge of a walkway. As she kicked the other woman, she used the inertia to leap towards the Shredder.

The Shredder's armor was huge, and easily towered over the young girl. Being smaller, however, gave her the speed advantage. She managed to land a few hits, though she took more than she gave. She ended up caught by the Shredder's claws multiple times- left bicep, right thigh, and left calf. Just as she thought she had found an opening in which to actually land a hit, the Shredder's hand caught her off guard, slashing her across the face. Momentarily blinded, she stumbled backwards.

Though Leonardo knew that she was treacherous, he hoped that Karai would finally see the light. Thus, he lunged forward and grabbed her arm just before she plummeted to her death. "Leonardo. You are too kind." As she was pulled up, an evil smirk crossed her face. "Far too kind." Reaching over his back, she ripped a sword from its sheath as she sent him flying with a powerful kick to his plastron. Her own sword had fallen, so she had to make do with the Turtle's weapon instead. Leonardo pulled his own remaining sword and they clashed once more.

"Leonardo, this isn't what I wanted! My father was leaving- he would have been out of your way forever!" Karai pushed with all her strength against Leonardo, but he refused to budge.

"I couldn't sit by and watch as countless others died, even if they weren't on my world! I have to stop him!" He pushed off of her sword, pausing to take a breath. They rushed together once more, but Karai was not going to let him get away this time. As Leo raised his sword to strike, Karai thrust hers forward- straight into Leonardo's left side.

Time froze. Danika turned as she heard Leonardo's yell, freezing as he dropped his sword. He shuddered before falling to the floor, lifeless. "Karai!" Danika raised her sword, intent on killing the woman with it. However, she was stopped when she heard the clanking of large metal feet behind her. She turned just in time for the Shredder to laugh.

The next thing she knew, she was falling to her knees, her hands grasping at the two large holes in her abdomen.

The Shredder laughed maniacally, reaching down to grab Leonardo's body in one arm. He raised his gauntlet to strike, but was stopped when a sword found a home in the shoulder of his armor. He turned to glance at Danika. She was still alive, but unable to move beyond the single throw. However, it was more than enough. It had distracted the Shredder long enough for Donatello to reach the main power core.

The Professor had just accessed the internal power grid. Donatello spoke to the Professor and told him what to do, but his orders made the robot protest vehemently. "Donatello… and explosion of that magnitude-"

"I know, Professor, but it's the only way to stop the Shredder!"

The Professor sighed once before giving in. "As you wish, Donatello…" Just as the core started to explode, Donatello leapt up to run to his family. However, time froze in that instant. A number of blue beams appeared on board the ship, Utroms appearing within them.

"Hurry, we must move them to the ship. The force field here is too weak to hold out much longer. Send the Turtles to the medical bay to wrap their injuries. Send the Shredder and his accomplices to the holding area." With a nod, the other Utroms turned to go about their business, quickly transmatting the others out. As the last one left, the force field broke. The Shredder's ship exploded violently, leaving the wreckage to float behind the Utrom ship.

x.x.x.x

The group was transported to the Utrom home world, and their injuries were mended. The Professor's mind was transferred into an actual robot body so that he was free to move about. It had been decided that he would remain safely with the Utroms.

The Hamato clan was bandaged and cared for, though their minds were still reeling with what had happened. They were currently in a large chamber with the Utrom council. They were passing judgment on the Shredder, as well as Chaplin and Karai.

"Ch'rell- also known as the Shredder- prepare to face the following charges." The lead Utrom listed off multiple crimes, all of which ended in multiple millions of innocents dying. "This tribunal finds you guilty. For this, you will be permanently exiled to the ice asteroid Morgal Tau."

Upon reaching this verdict, the Hamato clan all shared a brief smile. Karai let out an angered gasp, glaring angrily at the tribunal.

"You fools. I am the Shredder! You cannot- no, no- NO!" As he spoke, his body was molecularly torn apart by the transmit device, his data sent to the far-off asteroid before being reconstructed there.

"May your actions haunt you forever." The Utroms turned to the Hamato clan. "The Shredder's comrades will be returned to Earth under the proper authority." The Utroms thanked the Turtles greatly.

"We have already sent word of your imminent arrival to your friends, one Casey Jones and one April O'Neill. They are expecting you at their farm in Northampton as we speak." The group hobbled onto the transmat, all of them gazing at the Utroms. "Thank you again." With a final nod, the Turtles were sent back to their own world to recover from their harrowing battle.

x.x.x.x

"Hey, April, is everything ready? I mean, there are mattresses upstairs and everything, but you remember how much these guys eat, right?" Casey was standing in the kitchen of his grandmother's cabin at the moment.

April walked in from the living room, giving Casey a look. "Casey, I'm perfectly capable of planning everything. We have plenty of food, enough beds, and everything. You have the couch here, I have the bed in the bedroom, and the others have the spare room."

Casey raised an eyebrow at that. "Won't Danika mind? I mean, she's a girl and all…"

April shrugged. "She's lived with them most of her life, Case. I'm sure she'd rather be with them." Just as April turned, a bright flash of blue light appeared in the living room. It quickly dissipated, leaving the slightly-stunned forms of the Hamato family standing there.

Donatello was supporting Michelangelo, who was standing on crutches. Master Splinter and Leonardo were both supporting Raphael, who looked as if he could barely stand. Everyone was smothered in so many bandages it was like they had been mummified.

Danika looked that way as well, but she was managing fine on her own. This was only because she had Raphael's stubbornness and Leonardo's determination at the same time, forcing her to stand on her own for the sake of her family. Her limbs and torso were obviously aching, and the bandages were showing through her shredded clothing. She had insisted that the wounds on her face be left alone, so there were still 2 open lines that drew the attention of April and Casey.

Casey rushed forward to help with Raphael as April headed for the stairs. "This way, guys. You have the entire attic to yourselves, alright?" As the group trudged up the stairs, Danika let her mind wander. She always enjoyed coming out to the country. Though she had always been free to go above ground at any time, she rarely did because the rest of her family could not enjoy such trips. In the country, they could all be in the sun together.

When they reached the attic, April opened the door. The room was set up with 2 regular beds against one wall, a futon on another, and 2 mattresses on the floor against a third. Raphael and Michelangelo both collapsed on the beds, since they were the ones that would have had the most issues getting down onto a mattress. Leonardo and Danika both moved for the mattresses on the floor, leaving Donatello with the futon.

April stepped towards Master Splinter. "Master Splinter, you can have the guest room on the second floor. Casey has the couch, and I am in the bedroom. Is that alright with you?"

Master Splinter nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that will be fine, Ms. O'Neill. Your hospitality is appreciated very much." A murmur of agreement came from the younger 3 Turtles. Though it was only about 9 o'clock, everyone was tired. Their sleep schedule was mixed up, and they were very worn out from their last fight. They all declined dinner, opting instead to head to bed. As April and Master Splinter left, they all let out a sigh.

Don walked over to the wall and flicked the light switch, darkening the room noticeably. The only light came in the window, and the faint glow of the moon only lit a dim patch on the floor. Leonardo walked silently to the window, resting his arms on the frame as he stared out across the lake. Not a single rippled disturbed it.

Danika sat quietly on her mattress, her eyes focused on Leonardo before turning to look at the others. Donatello was peacefully sleeping on the futon. His arm was only fractured, so it would heal very quickly. Michelangelo's legs were both broken, though the breaks were clean enough that they would heal rather quickly. Raphael's ribs ended up mostly broken or fractured, so he would have to be more careful.

As she turned back to Leonardo, she stared for a moment more before hanging her head. Both of them had rather nasty stab wounds in their torso. His was just a single slit through which the sword had entered his side, and his mutated genes would have him healthy in no time. Danika's own wounds, on the other hand, were worse. She had two large wounds, with holes on both sides of her torso. The spikes were far enough apart that the spine was unharmed, and they also managed to miss any major organs. However, the muscle in her sides was ripped horribly. Only her sheer determination had kept her on her feet this long.

When she looked up again, Leonardo was still standing at the window. Not wanting to disturb him, she silently rolled onto her side and covered herself with the blankets. Her mattress had the head against one wall and the side against another. Thus, she had her own corner. It was nice, because she could curl up and ignore the rest of the world. Or, if she wanted, put her back to the wall to feel safe.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

x.x.x.x

The next morning came with some clouds and a light drizzle, but it was still rather warm out. Donatello had awoken at around 8, heading downstairs to help with breakfast. He found April and Master Splinter awake and working, and the lack of Casey's boots signified that he had gone out. A quick peek showed that his truck was gone, meaning that he had run to town for supplies.

"Morning, April. Morning, Master Splinter." He nodded to both of them, receiving smiles in return.

"Good morning, my son. I trust that you slept well?" Master Splinter inquired, holding a cup of tea before him.

"Yes. The futon was actually rather comfortable. I take it you slept well?" A nod from Splinter was the only response he got. "Sorry I can't help more with the cooking… Having my dominant arm busted up is a nuisance."

April just smiled at him. "Oh, it's alright. When Casey gets back, maybe you could help him look at his 4-wheeler. The engine has been having trouble. He ran to town just now because apparently it's a crime to not have waffles…" She shrugged, turning back to the stove.

Donatello grinned, walking over to the counter to grab some coffee. He poured himself a mug and sat down opposite his sensei, waiting for the food to be done.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family started to stir. Raphael and Michelangelo both awoke from hunger pangs. They didn't want to be stuck upstairs all day, so they both hobbled awkwardly downstairs. Michelangelo walked easily on his crutches, but Raphael had to awkwardly hobble everywhere. As soon as Donatello saw him struggling, he got up to help him to the couch, next to Michelangelo.

"The eggs and bacon are done, guys. I also made some toast." April smiled at the other Turtles, raising an eyebrow as she turned back towards Donatello. "Hey, where are Danika and Leo? Aren't they going to eat with us?"

Donatello's smile faded. "I don't think so. They were both gone when I got up this morning… Probably out."

Michelangelo raised an eyebrow. "You don't mean that they're like, training do you? That's crazy!"

Raphael groaned as he moved. "Yeah, but that's them. You know those two. Both probably feeling like they failed or something, so they're going to train themselves to death."

Michelangelo sighed. "I hope not…"

x.x.x.x

At about 7, Danika had opened her eyes to the sight of Leonardo sneaking down the stairs. She didn't know what had alerted her to his movement, seeing as how he was literally silent as a shadow. Nevertheless, she followed him. She had fallen asleep in her clothes, so she didn't care about changing.

Leonardo headed for the barn that stood behind the Jones' house. He snuck in silently, just as the sun was starting to come up over the horizon. He had left the door open just a smidge, because locking yourself in a building was most often a bad idea when it came to the Turtles. Sneaking in behind him, Danika hid herself in the shadows by the door.

Leonardo stopped in the middle of the barn, standing perfectly still for about a minute. No noise came from him, until he drew in a breath of air. Slowly, he began to move. Danika's eyes instantly recognized the kata that Leonardo was running through, having done it many times herself. It was simple, but its purpose was to maintain balance.

He either didn't notice her presence, or he didn't care. Regardless, she stayed silently standing as she watched, only moving to put a hand on her stomach in pain when the wounds began to hurt. When Leonardo finished, he sat down and moved into the Lotus position to meditate. Danika took this opportunity to leave the barn, moving to sit against the back wall of the sturdy structure. She too sat in the lotus position, turning her minds inwards. Master Splinter was most obviously the best at meditation, though he was followed closely by his eldest son. After him came Donatello, then Danika. Raphael was too hot-tempered and Michelangelo was too playful to truly delve into the astral realm.

As she cleared her mind, Danika could feel her mind drifting away into the astral realm. She often chose to delve into the depths, letting her mind wander through the land. Often, she was alone and wandering in a large forest. Today, however, was different. Today she was in what appeared to be a wasteland. She also sensed a presence behind her. Turning, she saw a humanoid figure dissolve into the mist. She hurried after it, trying to see who it was.

When she left the fog bank, she froze. There, standing before her, was Leonardo. He just stood there, gazing out over a humongous body of water. Danika cautiously walked forward, stopping beside him. "Why did you follow me?"

The question was simple, yet it hurt. It was almost as if he didn't want her here. "I just started meditating and somehow ended up here… I followed because I was curious."

Leonardo didn't respond, only putting a hand on her shoulder. They stayed that way for a few moments before Leonardo walked away. Danika didn't bother following. She just let herself leave that realm and rejoin the world of the living. She slowly stood, hissing in pain as she did. Not wanting to bother Leonardo anymore, she walked towards the lake. There were two piers near the Jones' house- one was right in sight of the house, but the other was hidden in a stand of bushes and trees. It was older, but still sturdy.

It took a moment of wishing that her swords were still with her before she finally squeezed through the shrubbery. In the battle against the Shredder, her swords had been ruined. The one that had been lodged in the Shredder ended up broken in two, and the other was lost. Leonardo only had one of his swords, and they both planned on making new ones sometime soon. For the moment, however, Danika just sat on the end of the dock.

It wasn't until the sun was starting to sink over the trees that Danika brought herself back to reality. The sound of Donatello's voice calling her name for supper also dragged her back. She stood, once more pushing her way through the foliage. She ended up scraping her arm slightly, but it wasn't anything bad. As she walked towards the house, she picked the leaves from her hair and clothes, letting them fall to the ground. The barn door was closed, so Leonardo had probably gone upstairs to meditate or something. As she turned the corner, the front of the house came into view.

Donatello was standing there, a small light letting its glow float over the small front porch. When his eyes caught sight of his sister, he smiled slightly. "There you are. We were all worried. Leo came back a bit ago and headed upstairs. Would you like to join us for dinner?" Donatello's inflection didn't escape Danika's ears. It was obvious that they hoped she would join them, because Leonardo had not.

As she walked in the door, Danika gave a slight nod to her techie brother. She would join them, but only briefly. She was hungry, after all, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. There was an obviously empty chair at the table next to her, where Leonardo would normally sit. While she used her right hand to eat, her left one rested on the chair. She knew her brother was aching and angry with himself.

While the others took their time eating and chatting, Danika quickly ate her meal. When she finished, she put her plate in the sink before heading to the stairs. They others paused their conversation, and Michelangelo reached out a hand as if asking her to stay longer. She spared them only a quick glance before ascending the stairs. Michelangelo's sigh echoed after her, joined by Raphael's remark, "Those two better get their heads out their asses soon. I can't take much more o' this…"

As Danika climbed the stairs, she didn't hear anything from the attic. She figured that Leonardo was either meditating or sleeping. When she reached the attic and opened the door, she found herself to be wrong. He was sitting on the window ledge, his feet dangling outside. Danika knew better than to disturb him, so she simply walked over to her bed to sleep.

Just as she set down, Leonardo turned to look at her. Their eyes met for only a moment before she rolled over and closed her eyes. Just as she got comfortable, Leonardo's voice drifted over to her. "The others are upset with me, aren't they?" As he spoke, Danika looked over at him. He was definitely different.

The moonlight shining on his face should have been a beautiful and almost calming sight, as it always had been. Instead, it seemed to glare harshly off his hazel eyes. There wasn't even a hint of happiness on his face, or a hint of anything, really. He seemed dead enough to be a statue at that moment. His voice, low and almost a growl, was also much different.

Her lack of answer was answer enough for the lead Turtle as he sighed. "I thought so. Just because I'm off alone all day doesn't mean that I want to come back to sit around at a table with my injured family and… stare at my failure." He tensed on the last words, obviously referencing their injuries. Even now he refused to look at Danika, for the large scar on her face was too painful for him.

He chuckled darkly as he turned to gaze out the window once more. Danika took that as a sign that he was done. Rolling over once more, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

x.x.x.x

For about 2 weeks, the Hamato clan stayed at the Jones' farm to recuperate. Their physical injuries faded, some more slowly than others. Donatello was quickly out of his bandages, and he started to help out around the house so April and Casey weren't doing it all alone. Master Splinter was able to help out now and then, though his skin was rather tender as his fur grew back.

Leonardo and Danika shed their bandages earlier than Donatello had recommended, but they didn't care. Both of them had scars all over their bodies. Neither of them held shame at them, only using them to push themselves forward even more.

Michelangelo got out of his casts, but had to keep his feet wrapped even when the crew headed home. Raphael got his bandages off the day they planned on leaving, which was a big relief for him. Now he could actually whack Michelangelo himself instead of having to ask April of Casey to do it for him.

As Casey locked up the house, the crew piled into April's van. They soon headed back to New York and their normal lives.


	3. Entropy

The first few days back in New York were slow for the Turtles. Their lair had gotten a bit dusty in the time they had spent away, and they had to clean it up. With April's help, they also restocked their fridge. After they were reacquainted with their lives, things started to change.

The Foot were still scattered, since no one had stepped up to replace the Shredder yet. They weren't sure of what happened to Karai, exactly, so the Turtles just bided their time.

As the days wore on, tension started to rise. Leonardo's anger started to show, and he would take it out on the others. After him and Raphael had a fight one day, he stormed out of the lair. He returned hours later, multiple wounds covering his body. He hadn't said what happened, but the news the next morning reported that a large Purple Dragon gang had been taken down. They didn't want to believe that their brother had done it alone, but that was the truth.

After about 2 weeks of being home, Leonardo's personality had become horrendous. He was pushing the others extremely hard, demanding focus and time form them that they didn't want to give. One night, it seemed like he was going off the deep end. After practice, he had stomped out of the dojo without a word and left the lair. No one made a move to follow until Danika stepped forward. "I'm going after him. This has to stop."

Before anyone could stop her, she was gone. Her feet pounded over the ground as she ran through the sewers, moving only on instinct. She had no idea where Leonardo had gone, but somehow she managed to find him. He was poised on an old building by the water's edge, staring at a warehouse. Purple Dragons were swarming the place, doing God knows what. His face was set in a mask as he watched them.

Without warning, Leonardo suddenly moved, running to the alley next to the warehouse. He swung down through a window, pulling his katanas as he landed. The Dragons around him swarmed. Danika followed him, landing on top of two brutes with a growl. She and Leonardo fought in perfect harmony, their anger driving them on.

The rest of the Dragons soon followed them, some pulling out guns and opening fire on the ninja pair. They only got grazed a few times before taking most of the Dragons out. Just as they turned to see what was in all the crates, Hun stepped out of an adjoining room. He smirked at them, waving a remote at them. After pushing the button, he turned and ran from the warehouse. The squealing of tires said that he had hopped into a car and was leaving.

Instantly, Danika grabbed Leonardo's arm, pulling him towards the wall farthest from the remote. "Leo, we have to leave, now! Those far crates? I saw into one, and they're loaded with bombs. He rigged the place- this is all to get rid of evidence! We have to leave!"

Leonardo yanked his arm from her grasp, turning to glare at her. "Not yet. Maybe there is a clue in one of these crates!" He turned and took a step towards a crate, only to find his path blocked by the other.

"Leonardo- we are leaving!" The remote had started beeping, and that was normally never a good sign. She took an opportunity, striking Leonardo on the side of the head. He was dazed enough for her to put her arms around him and half-carry, half-drag him to the side of the building. A kick sent the door crashing down just as the beeping sped up.

"Shit."

Without thinking, she chucked Leonardo off the pier that the building sat on, leaping after him. She dragged him down and away just as the building exploded above them. Pieces of shrapnel fell around them, a few landing too near them for her comfort. One piece actually managed to hit her, dazing her slightly. Struggling to concentrate, she dragged them both up to the shore, where she collapsed.

As they both regained their senses, they sat up. Leonardo shot daggers at her as he stood. "What the hell, Danika? We would have had time to grab a crate or two before leaving. We could have learned about the Purple Dragons and maybe taken them down!" He turned and ran back towards the street, climbing back into the sewer.

With a look of disbelief, Danika followed her brother. She closed the manhole cover behind her, sprinting to catch up with Leonardo. She did, just as he had entered the lair.

"Leo, what the fuck is your problem? All you've been doing the past few weeks is making a complete asshole out of yourself. And you almost just got both of us killed!" Danika stood angrily in the door of the lair, her clothes still wet.

Leo stopped mid-step and turned, pointed a finger accusingly at Danika. "You didn't have to go, you know. You willingly followed me! That's your own fault!" His voice was slipping from normal to 'leader', and soon it would slip into just plain angry.

"Oh, yeah, because me going was a bad thing? They didn't notice us because of me, you know, and I saved your life Leo!" Just as she stopped screaming, the other 3 stepped out of the dojo. Donatello opened his mouth to ask where they had been all night, but stopped as he watched and listened.

Leonardo growled. "You know I wouldn't be this upset if we hadn't had the shit beat out of us by the Shredder, right?" His left hand was a tight fist at his side, while his right continually jabbed towards his sister. Both voices were constantly escalating in volume, and turning more desperate. Both of them were letting out emotions that had been held in for almost a month now.

"Oh, so this is my fault then? Who's the one that dove after the enemy to save her, and then proceeded to get stabbed by her?"

"Who's the one whose distraction during battle almost got them killed?!"

"I was worried about you! I was worried about everyone! How the hell was I supposed to ignore the fact that you could have died when I was right there?!"

"If you would have concentrated on the battle, you could have kept battling the Shredder and not gotten stabbed! The entire time I could feel the distraction coming off you. If you would have focused, maybe none of this would have happened!"

Danika froze as the words came from Leonardo's mouth. Her most beloved brother, her most trusted friend, had just accused her of the injuries that they had sustained in battle. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to hold back the tears. Her voice dropped dangerously low, but her eyes never left Leonardo's. "So you're saying that I'm the reason that we all almost died? I was worried about everyone Leonardo. But apparently winning is more important to you than that." Without another word, she turned and fled from the lair.

Master Splinter stepped out of his room just as the door closed behind his daughter, turning to his eldest son. "Leonardo, explain!"

Normally, when spoken to by his father, Leonardo would kneel and speak respectfully. This time, however, he didn't. He turned to his father and growled, "Explain what, exactly? How she put us in danger? How she lost the chance for us to gain clues about the Purple Dragons and potentially stop them for good?"

Master Splinter glared silently at his son. The other 3 brothers just stared at the pair, unsure of what to do. They didn't want to intervene, but they had never seen Leonardo act this way before.

"Leonardo. You have been suffering. Ever since we defeated the Shredder, there has been an anger in you. Your actions have turned reckless, and you have caused discord in this family." Master Splinter spoke evenly, holding back his anger. He knew that Leonardo was suffering, and he wanted to help.

Leonardo opened his mouth to retort, but Splinter's raised hand halted him. He was slowly getting his anger under control, but he still glared at his master.

"I think that it would be best if you went away for a while. Training on your own, both to better your skills as a leader and to let out your anger. There is a small town in South America that would suit you. You could simply be a ghost to them." Splinter looked out the corner of his eye at his other sons to gauge their reactions. They were obviously not pleased, but they didn't speak out against it.

Leonardo's eyes widened slightly as he stepped towards his master. "But, Master Splinter… I belong here, with my brothers, with you, with-"

Splinter raised his hand once more. "Leonardo. You will go for one year. You will train and become a better leader for your family. Set out tomorrow at dawn." At the mention of the length, the others all gasped in shock.

"A year, Master Splinter? You're sending him away that long?" Donatello's voice was laced with worry.

Leonardo spoke. "No, Master Splinter." Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. "I am leaving now." He thought back to what had happened earlier and deemed it best to remove himself from the situation as quickly as possible. He hoped that, by leaving, he could rectify his wrongs and change himself.

Without another word, he turned and headed for his room. The others just stared after him in shock before turning back to look at their sensei. Donatello spoke first. "Master Splinter… Are you sure that… this is a good idea? I mean, he's the leader and…"

Michelangelo interrupted him. "A whole year? He's leaving for an entire year? Master Splinter, that's insane! Who will be leader? How will we function?" A sharp slap from Raphael shut him up, but that just let Raphael speak up.

"That's a good point. Who's gonna be leader now that Leo's headin' to the jungle?" He jabbed his thumb angrily backwards at Leonardo's room.

Splinter sighed. "We will discuss that later. Let us say goodbye to your brother now." He turned to look at Leonardo, who had stuck down the stairs. He was standing near the front door, his eyes locked on his family. They all walked towards him, but Michelangelo was the first to do anything. He hugged his oldest brother tightly, clinging almost desperately to him.

"I'll miss you, Leo… hurry back, ok?" He glanced up before stepping back, hanging his head a bit. Donatello stepped up next, also pulling his brother into a hug. He pulled back more quickly than his baby brother had, however, and he seemed more withdrawn about his feelings.

Raphael stepped forward, staring into Leonardo's eyes. Neither of them moved for a moment, but Raphael eventually stepped forward. Both brothers held out a hand, grasping the other's tightly. "Come back safe, Fearless." They stepped away from each other, and Leonardo turned to look at his sensei.

He nodded, but the stone-cold glare in his eyes wasn't fading. He turned and, just like that, he was gone. He had taken with him his swords and some provisions, as well as a few other weapons. He planned on sneaking aboard a plane and stowing away in the cargo hold.

The rest of the family stood there for a moment before Michelangelo suddenly gasped. "Wait, Danika left… she doesn't know he's leaving and didn't get to say goodbye! Oh, this is bad…"

Raphael, for once, didn't smack his younger brother upside the head. He agreed with him, because he knew how people that lived by their emotions acted, since he was one of those people himself. Their reactions were explosive and they were quite volatile. He only sighed, hoping she wouldn't be as bad as he was himself.

The crew disbanded from their position at the door to return to normal things. Splinter said that he was going to April's to give her a bit of extra training, and set out immediately. Michelangelo and Raphael decided to play some games, and Donatello retreated to his lab. The peaceable, yet slightly tense, silence lasted for all of about 15 minutes before the door to the lair opened. Raphael looked up to see Danika.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he noted the look in her eyes. She was upset beyond reason, and the best reaction they could hope for was one of silence. Luckily, that's what happened. She took one look at her brothers before sprinting up the stairs to her room, locking the door. Once inside, she started to blare music to drown out her sorrows.

Michelangelo's eyes strayed after her, sighing when the music started to blast. "I don't know which one of you crazies is worse… Are Donnie and I the only sane ones left?" The pair turned back to their gaming for about another hour. At that point, Master Splinter returned.

Upon entering, he cast a sad glance up towards his daughter's room, from which the music was still pouring. He sighed sadly before he walked to the dojo. "My sons. Please bring Donatello and Danika into the dojo so we may discuss a few issues." The old rat then slowly walked into the dojo, closing the door behind him.

Raphael and Michelangelo both stood, each one going a different way. The younger instinctively headed for the lab, while the hothead headed for the stairs. They reached the doors at the same time and knocked almost in unison, but the reactions they got were different.

Donatello slowly opened the door, glancing out at his brother. "What is it, Mikey? I'm trying to organize some files."

Michelangelo peered past his brother. The lab was a mess. There were papers and folders everywhere, as well as a few random technological trinkets here and there. "Um, Master Splinter wanted us to meet in the dojo to talk…"

Donatello paused before nodding. He stepped out of his lab, closing the door behind him. They both walked towards the dojo, waiting outside for their other siblings.

Raphael knocked on Danika's door, but he initially got no response. Thus, he banged loudly on it. "Hey, open up in there. Splinta' wanted ta talk about somethin' with us." The music continued on, so he banged again. "Hey! I'm talkin' to you in there!" This time, the music shut off. The door slowly opened, and Danika's face appeared. She stepped out and shut it behind her before trudging off.

Raphael followed his sister, and soon the pair joined the other 2 outside the dojo. When they entered, only a row of candles before their sensei lit the room. Each of them kneeled before him. Danika turned to look for Leonardo, but he wasn't there.

"My children. There is an issue of utmost importance we must discuss today. As you know, Leonardo possesses skills that make him fit to be a worthy leader." He glanced at each teen separately, as if telling them that they each lacked a very specific trait. Danika, however, just sighed. So that was it. He was naming Leonardo the leader, and what, was he going to pop out of nowhere because he was so ninja?

"However, in light of recent events, I am naming a temporary leader." These words confused Danika. Temporary leader? Why wasn't he just saying that Leonardo was their leader? "Donatello. Out of all your siblings, you possess the most insight and the most level-headed thought process. Therefore, you shall lead your brothers until Leonardo's return."

This was too much for the oldest child. She looked up at Master Splinter, almost accusingly. "Where is Leo? And why is Don 'temporary leader' all of a sudden?" She heard a sigh from Donatello to her right, and knew that something was up.

"Leonardo has been sent on a training pilgrimage. He has gone to South America, and will be living a solitary life to learn how to better himself. He has left us for a year." At these words, everyone could physically feel the emotion that started pouring off Danika.

"He left for a year… without waiting for me? He went to fucking South America without so much as leaving a goddamn note?" She stood at this point, fighting the tears that surged to the surface. No one cursed before their master, and no one rose without his permission. The others turned to stare at her in disbelief. Without warning, she turned and fled from the dojo. She ran silently, but the sound of her door slamming was all they needed to know what happened.

Raphael looked to Master Splinter before he, too, stood. "Sorry, Master." He bowed slightly before running after his sister. Of everyone there, he understood her feelings most. Leonardo had just abandoned them, and the last thing she had done with her brother was argue. Now he was gone for a year.

Donatello spoke quietly. He didn't want to put an idea into his sensei's head, but he was curious. "Master, why didn't you send Danika somewhere as well?"

Master Splinter sighed, casting his keen son a glance. "Leonardo has a demeanor much better suited to living a solitary life to meditate on his actions and better himself. If Danika were to leave, I fear that she would spiral out of control. She must stay with her family to heal. You are dismissed, my sons."

The pair of siblings stood and bowed before exiting the dojo. They walked out to the living room, but saw nothing. Apparently Raphael had either went to his own room or had found a way into that of his sister. The pair returned to their previous activities to busy themselves.

x.x.x.x

After Raphael had left the dojo, he ran to his sister's room. He knocked on the door, but all he received was a choked "leave me the fuck alone". He growled once before leaning against the door.

"Danika, just open the door. It's just me out here, and I promise I ain't gonna tell ya to do anything." He paused, thinking that she didn't care for company, but almost sighed with relief when the lock clicked open. By the time he had opened the door, she was back on her bed.

Danika's room was no different than any of the other rooms in the lair. Just because she was a human girl didn't mean that she acted or lived any differently than the others. Her room consisted of a desk and chair, a small table, and a bed. There was also a hammock that she used on occasion, but she most often slept in her bed. The walls were void of any decoration except a few odd things- a few pictures of the family here and there, her training katanas mounted in their sheaths, and a picture Michelangelo had drawn for her when they had first met.

Raphael closed the door behind him before walking towards the bed and perching on the edge. He didn't speak, knowing that she would talk when she wanted. Though he was a hothead and seemed to not like the emotions of others, that was entirely untrue. Raphael lived by his emotions. They often clouded judgment, and that gave him a connection to his sister. They both lived that way, and he was the only one that could understand her at the moment.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Danika spoke. Her voice was choked, meaning that she had been crying. "Why the fuck did he leave, Raph?" The Turtle turned to his sister. She had never cried in front of them, except as a child. But back then, they all cried. Her letting him see her like this was something that was special to him. He doubted if even Leonardo had seen this. She turned to stare at him as she awaited an answer, nothing but abandonment, rage, and loneliness burning in her eyes.

Raphael sighed, putting a hand on the back of his neck. "Splinta' said that he needed to train himself to be a better leader, and that he needed to calm down. Apparently sendin' him to South America to protect a jungle village is gonna do that." He scoffed before moving his hands to his lap. He glanced over at Danika, meeting her eyes.

Before he knew what was happening, she had climbed into his lap and was openly sobbing into his chest. She clung to him like a lifesaver, and Raphael's eyes widened a bit. Without thinking, he put his arms around her, hugging her close. He rested his head on hers, speaking quietly. "Hey, it's ok… Ya still got Mikey and Don, and sensei… and you still got me, ya' know. I may not know exactly how ya feel, but I don't hide my emotions like they do. The rage, the hurt… All my feelings make me protect my family. I don't care if ninja are supposed ta be stoic. I don't buy that, and neitha' should you."

Danika didn't react immediately to Raphael's comments, but her crying soon slowed. It took another moment for her to slowly sit up and look up at her brother. The tears were gone, though her eyes remained red and slightly puffy. The emotions seemed to blaze even more brightly in her eyes. "You're right, Raph. I'm not going to let Leonardo ruin my life from a different country." She stood, glancing at her door before back at Raphael. "I have to go talk to Don for a bit…" With that, she left her room to head down to the lab.

Raphael stared after her, unsure of what to think. He had wanted to make her feel better and just forget about the events of earlier for now, but his speech seemed to have a different effect. There was something strange about the look in her eyes when she left, and Raphael wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

As Danika reached her brother's lab, she entered nearly silently. Only the sound of the door shutting alerted the geek Turtle to the presence of anyone in the lab. He turned to find Danika staring down at him, and the look in her eyes almost frightened him. "Hey, is there something I can help you with?"

"Don. I want you to make me a… serum. It has to be very particular, you see… And it must be done correctly, because I think there's a chance it could kill me." She stared down stoically at her brother, which made her words all the creepier.

Donatello stared up in confusion. What the hell? "Why would you want me to make something that could potentially kill you, Danika? What would it do if it works?"

"It would make me like you. Sure, being a human is nice and all, but I've always felt like an outcast among you guys because of it. The only thing my looks are good for is ordering pizza and groceries, and April can help with that stuff anyway. What do you say?" She smiled a bit, noting that the reactions on Donatello's face seemed to say no.

"Not that that wouldn't be an amazing feat of technology, but it could kill you! If just a single bond doesn't happen right, if a single molecule is out of place… You would die. I couldn't live with myself if I did that to you!" He paused. "What would the others say? What will Leo do when he comes back?"

Instantly, he regretted mentioning his older brother. Danika's smile faded as she propped her hands on the table, leaning over her brother in an almost menacing way. "I don't give a fuck what Leonardo thinks, Don. This team is in danger without his skills, I'll admit. If I'm a Turtle, I'll be a better team mate. You just better get the serum right."

Donatello opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again when he met Danika's glare. He closed his eyes as his brain staged an argument with himself. Finally, he sighed and looked up at her. "Alright, I'll do it. I'll need a few samples of you and myself and-"

Danika held up a hand. "Just do whatever you need, Don. I don't mind." She pulled up a stool and sat down, waiting expectantly for him to start. He nodded nervously before setting to work. What had he gotten into?

x.x.x.x

Because of Leonardo's absence, the team was forbidden from fighting until they could work cohesively. Thus, they all started their own things. Donatello continued to work on Danika's requested serum, but he also took up a job as an online tech-support. For at least 8 hours a day, Donatello would lock himself in his lab and put on his headphones before dealing with the daily customer calls. His job left him tired and stunned at how incompetent people were most of the time.

Michelangelo wasn't sure of what to do, so he just played games for the first few days. Donatello started complaining that the sound of him gaming distracted him, so he found a position for an entertainer. He donned a fake zipper on his plastron and a large, cartoon turtle head. Cowabunga Carl would cater any event. Michelangelo often came home very tired and annoyed.

Raphael and Danika were different. They didn't want a job, and they were both too tense to train all day. Though Raphael started it, Danika followed in his footsteps. They both took to backwards sleep-cycles, spending all night playing vigilante. Raphael made himself a metal suit to hide his appearance, and donned it every night. The general populous knew him as the Nightwatcher.

Danika took a slightly different approach. She found long but tight black pants and a dark blue shirt. She wore black wristguards and a black mask. Her persona was that of the Shadow. Her movements were quick and silent, though she restrained herself from killing. She only trussed them up like the Nightwatcher for the cops. While the Nightwatcher would leave them hanging upside down from things and tied up to each other, the Shadow would go a step further. She would tie them up and leave them for the cops to find, but she would also carve a small S into the back of their hand, similar to the mark of Zorro.

This continued on for a few nights, making the rest of the family worry about their actions slightly. They both knew another vigilante did work, but neither knew of the other's identity. Until one night, they crossed paths.

A burglary was taking place at a jewelry store, and both the Shadow and the Nightwatcher headed for the scene. They arrived, the former in an alley and the latter perched on a building across the street. Their eyes watched as the burglar- or rather, burglars- escaped out the door. The alarm was sounding, but they would be gone when the cops came. Thus, the vigilantes stepped into play.

Both of them started the chase, the Nightwatcher leaping down to follow on the street. It was then that the pair became aware of each other's presence. Still, they continued on their way. Eventually the couple ran into a large fence. As they tried to scale it, the pair of ninja approached and cornered them. Both spoke, but their voices sounded slightly different than normal. Raphael's voice was a tinny growl, and Danika's was a harsh whisper.

"Well, I think you've reached a dead end, buddy." Raphael stepped forward, cracking his knuckles intimidatingly.

"Just make it easy and give up for us." Danika stepped up and shifted from foot to foot, her eyes trained on the thieves. The pair of criminals turned to glance at each other before leaping up the fence. Both the Shadow and the Nightwatcher groaned, moving forward as one. They easily caught the pair or crooks, each making their trademark before chucking them out to a populated corner. The yells from bystanders let them know that their work was done. Thus, they retreated to the alley.

As the Nightwatcher climbed to the roof, the Shadow followed. Once they were away from prying eyes, they turned to each other. Raphael stepped forward first. "Ok, buddy, what's the big idea? This town's already got me, so you can just go home." He waved his hand as if to shoo away the other, who only chuckled and stepped forward.

"Oh, I believe that I have as much of a right to be here as anyone, Nightwatcher." She stood defensively, as if waiting for the other to strike. She didn't have to wait long. Two long chains fell into Raphael's hands, the large balls on the end swinging in a quick circle. He advanced as Danika drew her swords.

They clashed, each of them evenly matched. After only a moment, they managed to land a strike simultaneously- Raphael's helmet flew off, and Danika's mask was pulled down. They turned, trying to hide their own faces as they tried to figure out who their enemy was. Both of them froze when they saw their supposed foe.

"Raph? What the hell? This is what you've been doing?" Danika paused, a slight grin coming over her features. "I kinda like the outfit… Make it yourself?"

Raphael growled slightly, but couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him. "Yeah, I made it. I guess you were tired of being cooped up and letting crime run rampant too, eh?" An affirmative nod was all he needed. He bent down to pick up his helmet before turning back to his sister, who was adjusting her mask. "You wanna partner up, sis?"

Danika turned to glance at her brother, smirking as she did. "Why, I always wanted a sidekick!" Her snarky comment started a small banter war, at which point she ended up punching him lightly. They wrestled for a moment before deciding to go home. Though she was normally in a bad mood, Raphael had made her feel better again.

They returned home, their outfits stashed in their respective secret locations. They entered the lair separately, each heading to their own room. Tomorrow was Saturday, so they had nothing to do. Or so they thought. They were awakened the next morning at 8 by Donatello. He had decided that they needed to train every now and then. The four of them had the day off, and Master Splinter had headed over to April's to train her for the day. They headed into the dojo.

Raphael and Danika were both extremely tired, and it showed. Donatello tried to scold them, but it just ended with Raphael stomping out. Michelangelo groaned and complained, so Donatello decided to just end practice now. Just as Danika stood to leave, Donatello pulled her aside. He spoke in a hushed voice. "It's done. I did what I could, but I really wish you'd reconsider. There's still a 35 percent chance that it will either make you horribly sick or kill you. There's also a 10 percent chance that it just won't work." He begged with both his eyes and his words, but nothing could sway her.

"There's a 55 percent chance it will work. I'm doing this, Donatello. Thank you for making it." She gave him a quick hug before walking out of the dojo. Donatello just hung his head, sighing.

As Danika walked into the lab and shut the door, Michelangelo shot her a weird glance. He snuck over, but the door was locked. Inside, Danika found the syringe with the serum. It was premeasured and ready. She picked it up delicately, turning it over in her hands. The liquid inside looked moderately thin, and was surprisingly clear. She smirked before rolling up her sleeve.

Though she had always feared needles, the thrill of this overrode her fear and discomfort. She knew the basics of how to administer a shot, and it went in rather smoothly. When she was done, she set it on the table once more. She unlocked the door and strolled out, ignoring Michelangelo's questions. He peered inside, but didn't see anything unusual. Putting a hand to his chin, he walked back towards the TV.

That night at dinner, Danika looked at her family. They were all rather quiet, except Michelangelo of course. When there was a lull in the conversation, she spoke. "I have an announcement." At these words, Donatello almost seemed to cringe. "I have made a decision to better myself for this team. You'll notice it starting…. Tomorrow morning I think?"

Raphael looked at her questioningly. "What the heck is that supposed ta mean? Can't ya just tell us?"

Danika shook her head. "Just wait and see." Only a few moments later, dinner wrapped up and everyone went their separate ways. Danika told Raphael that she wouldn't be going out tonight, further raising his suspicion. She just locked herself in her room around 10 and refused to come out. Of course, Donatello was worried. He didn't know if it would work, and he didn't know how long or how painful the transformation would be. He knew how painful his had been…

The night went on as usual, and soon everyone was asleep. Danika had tried to stay awake to experience it, but she had fallen asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

x.x.x.x

The next morning rolled around as usual. Donatello was up at around 8, though Master Splinter had been up far longer. They were both in the kitchen when Raphael and Michelangelo joined them. "Ok, Donnie, spill- what is up with Danika, dude? You looked nervous yesterday."

Donatello ducked his head slightly and looked down at his coffee, not wanting to answer. The silence became slightly tense as he felt his sensei's eyes travel to him. "My son?"

Just at that moment, everyone turned to see someone enter the room. Their first instinct was Leonardo, but it wasn't. Upon further examination, the strange turtle figure wasn't anyone they knew. Raphael instantly drew his sais, glaring at the person. "Who the hell are you?"

The stranger was a beautiful shade of green, a bit brighter than their leader's skin had been. Her eyes were a stunning shade of blue. She wore a belt with sheaths, pads and a mask like they did, but hers were a dark gray, almost black. When Raphael's eyes fell on the 4 sets of scars, however, he growled. "Danika?" He turned to Donatello, pointing a sais at him. "What the fuck did you do, Don?"

Master Splinter hissed. "Language, Raphael." He turned to look at Danika. "What happened, my daughter?" The look on his face was indecipherable- she didn't know what to say that wouldn't set him off, so she just spoke the truth.

"Nothing that I didn't want, Father." She saw him sending a gaze at Donatello, but spoke before he had a change. "It was not his fault. If he hadn't made it, I would have tried. He's much better at science than I am, so there's a chance I would have messed up." She then turned to Raphael. "And I am Danika no longer. I am Shadow." Raphael was the only one that could truly appreciate the name, seeing as it was what the public had dubbed her vigilante persona. She shot a glance in his direction, but he was still scowling.

"I did this because we are down a member. As a human, I was a liability. You all have genes that allow for faster healing, and shells and thicker skin for more protection. You don't wear clothing that can bind you up as easily, and you have a much higher muscle concentration. I may not be able to take his place, but I can at least do my work and part of his." Her gaze hardened as she spoke, and she looked at each member of her family in turn. There was clear rage in her father's eyes. Donatello seemed to be upset with himself, but at the same time amazed that it had worked. Raphael didn't seem to care either way, and Michelangelo actually looked excited.

After a moment more, she turned and headed into the dojo. She didn't care if any of the others followed. She closed her eyes, moving swiftly into a set of katas. She had to work on balancing her body. The shell on her back made her want to fall backwards, and she had to get used to only 3 fingers. It would take time, but she would learn to do it. Since Leonardo had abandoned them, she had to step up and take responsibility. She would protect her family.


	4. The Pinnacle

It took a bit for the initial shock of Danika's transformation to wear off, but it slowly did. Though Donatello was official leader, her strong personality slowly allowed her to take over the training sessions. She didn't lead the missions, of course, though she did put in many opinions.

The year went back by quickly. Nothing too large happened in their lives, but everyone was still counting down the days until Leonardo returned to them. They planned out a small welcome party for their oldest brother, including a banner and a special dinner. They all gathered in the living room, waiting all day for him to return. After eating breakfast, Master Splinter pulled Shadow aside.

"My child, I still sense an anger in you. There is still a grudge within you at your brother. Will you be able to work it out with him in a peaceful way?" He wanted nothing more than for all his children to live happily together. He hoped that the time apart would affect both of them beneficially.

Shadow smiled slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes at all. "Of course, father. I will talk out the incident calmly with Leo. There is no need to fret." She turned from him to join her brothers in a game of Super Smash Bros. Splinter shook his head as he took a seat in his chair to watch his family.

They passed the hours playing games and watching television, but still their brother didn't return. They were all getting anxious. The clock struck midnight, signaling to them all that they needed to go to sleep. All of them felt a heaviness in their hearts. Have Leonardo lied to them? Or was he in trouble? One by one, they all went to bed. Master Splinter had retired about an hour ago, with instructions to wake him upon Leonardo's arrival. Donatello had drifted off a while ago as well. Michelangelo only went with a sad sigh when midnight rolled around, leaving the two most stubborn siblings alone in the living room. Neither wanted to admit that their brother wasn't coming back.

Shadow hung her head as her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her breathing was moderated, something that Raphael easily picked up on. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched at his touch. He turned to the door with a growl. "Dammit, Leo… where are ya?" He pulled his hand back from Shadow's shell. "I think I'm off, D-" He paused to correct himself. "…Shadow. Sorry, I don't want to leave you, but… I don't think he's coming back anytime soon…" He walked up the stairs towards his room, pausing for one last glance back at his sister. He watched her stand and walk purposefully towards the dojo, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Raphael turned with a growl to his own room, slamming the door behind him. He quickly shed his gear and mask, chucking them to the ground as he collapsed in his hammock. His left arm hung over the edge while his right arm lay across his face. "Fuck you, Leo…" He drifted slowly to sleep, the distant sound of someone wailing on the punching bag making a nice white noise for him.

x.x.x.x

For the next few days, Shadow would keep throwing glances at the lair door. Even while the others were watching a movie or playing a game, she never seemed to be in it. Her eyes kept straying angrily to the door, as if cursing it for not opening. The others tried to distract her, but to no avail. The only time she didn't stare at the door was during meditation or training.

During training, it was as if she was another person. Or, more correctly, that she was Leonardo. She pushed them all extremely hard, though she pushed herself the most. Every time she did a move wrong, or let someone beat her in a sparring match, she would spend an extra hour in the dojo and a while longer in meditation. She would meditate with the others, but she would also lock herself in the dojo alone for hours on end. The only light would be from a single candle that she placed behind her.

The days turned to weeks, which turned to months. Shadow stomped vamping up the training after the first month, but she withdrew more with each passing week. She didn't watch movies or play games with the others. She rarely even spoke to the others any more, except when giving orders in the dojo. She took her meals alone, if at all, and she could barely look in anyone's eyes. Everyone worried for her.

One night she had decided to go out on a run. The others took the opportunity to have a meeting about her behavior. They gathered in the dojo, locking the door behind them. No one was sure how to start, so Raphael took the initiative. "What the hell are we goin' ta do about her? She's goin' crazy, and it's even worse than when we got back and Leo went berserk." He glanced at the others, challenging them to deny the truth.

Donatello replied to his brother with a sigh. "I don't think it's going to get any better until the issue with Leo is resolved. Which means he's going to have to return." The tech turtle leaned against the wall, his eyes straying to his master. The elderly rat looked just as lost as the rest.

"I believe that you are correct, Donatello. The only way for her to be at peace is if Leonardo was to return and-" He paused as he heard the door to the lair open. They waited a moment to hear if Shadow would head back to her room. Instead, they heard a knock on the dojo door. They all gulped as Michelangelo slowly opened the door. He froze, before leaping through.

"Mikey? Mikey!" Donatello rushed forward but froze as he too stepped quickly through the door. Raphael and Master Splinter followed as smiles came to both their faces. Lying on the floor underneath the youngest 2 turtles was Leonardo. Raphael glared as his brothers rolled on the floor. After a moment, they cleared off to let their leader greet their master. Leonardo smiled before hugging his father.

"I've learned so much, Father. I'm glad to have returned home and… I'm sorry I was gone for so long. I am ready to return to my role as leader of our family." He kneeled before his father, waiting for his blessing. After a moment, he heard Splinter inhale.

"It fills my heart with joy to see your safe return, my son. However, there is a matter that has needed your attention since the day you left." Leonardo looked up at his father, slightly confused. "My son, your sister has-"

Once again he was interrupted by the lair door opening. Shadow looked at her family before noticing Leonardo sitting on the floor. Her eyes instantly narrowed as a fire visible came into them. Her normally planned steps turned into a quick walk as she approached the group. Stopping about 5 feet away, her growl came through.

"So. You're back. 2 years of abandonment and you return, bastard." Shadow kept her eyes locked on her brother as he slowly rose, trying his best to not let her get to him. "What do you have to say for yourself, hm?"

Leonardo's eyes widened at the sight of his sister. He hadn't expected her to somehow transform into a turtle, but there she was. He blinked a few times to calm his mind, and spoke evenly and calmly. "I stayed out another year because I lost sight of my objectives. I had to train harder and become better for all of you." He stepped forward, but she stepped back with a growl.

"No, _brother_, you simply decided that the jungles were more suited for you. So why don't you just go back!" She drew her swords and gripped them tightly, prompting everyone to move away. Splinter tried to step forward, but Donatello held him back. "You didn't come back because you were ashamed that you didn't like your family, that you blame your problems on others! You told me I was the cause of near death for this family, yet who is the one that has protected them for 2 years now, Leo?" She sprung at him, the fury flaming in her eyes.

Leonardo dodged her attacks, but they kept getting closer and closer to him, forcing him to draw his swords. He did it just in time to stop a blow to his arm, causing him to growl quietly. "Listen to yourself, Danika! Yes, I made mistakes. I am trying to fix those now!"

She pushed hard against his sword. "Don't you dare call me that! I have given up my old self. With you gone, someone had to take on the responsibility! Donnie needed to concentrate on his job, so I took that role! A human form was too weak for that!" She suddenly ducked, making Leonardo stumble a bit. Her sword caught his thigh, ripping it open down its length. However, her standing motion caused Leonardo's sword to connect with her face, ripping her mask off and slashing her face open, right on top of her old scar.

Hobbling back, Leonardo glared at his sister, slightly shocked that he had snagged her face. "I'm sorry I blamed that on you. I understand that it was my fault. Leaving may have been a bad idea, but I've grown so much! Please, let's just talk about it and-"

"No! You sealed your fate when the words left your mouth!" The blood from both of them started flowing freely. Shadow's mask was around her neck in tatters now, and the gray was slowly turning red as the blood flowed over her face. She took one step forward and pointed a finger accusingly at Leonardo. "You are the reason for the suffering of this family, Leo, not me!" She sheathed her swords and turned, running from the lair. Drops of blood followed her out.

Raphael stepped forward to go after her, but Leonardo stopped him. "Just let her go. She needs time to think." He glanced sadly at his father, who only returned his expression. He was deeply disappointed in his daughter.

"Hey, Leo, come with me to the lab and we can patch you up, ok?" Donatello waved his brother after him, and the two closed the lab door behind them. The tech turtle instantly started patching up his older brother. "I guess she's still mad at you…" He sighed as he gently cleaned the slice on Leonardo's leg. It wasn't deep by any means, but it was long and bleeding rather swiftly.

Leonardo remained silent for a moment as he watched his brother work. He spoke quietly. "Yeah, I guess I messed up pretty badly. Saying what I did and then just leaving… And staying away for another year…" He set a shoulder on Donatello's shoulder. "You aren't mad at me, are you?"

Donatello stopped working to look up at his brother. "I'm not so much mad as disappointed. You didn't even write to us for a year. We didn't know if you had died or anything… It was scary really." He went back to wrapping gauze around the wound. The rest of their time passed in silence. Donatello finished up and let his brother stand. Leonardo walked out of the lab, leaving Donatello to shake his head.

x.x.x.x

As Shadow fled the lair, she ran for a few minutes before she stopped. If the others wanted to track her, she had left them a nice blood line to follow. She growled, ripping her shredded mask from her neck with a sharp yank. She roughly cleaned her face, and most of the bleeding stopped. The mask was of no further use, so she threw it into the flowing sewer waters. Satisfied with her work, she looked around. She wasn't sure exactly where she was, but she saw a ladder up ahead. She quickly scaled it, opening the manhole above her quickly but quietly.

The alley she was in was more of a back road that no one ever travelled for fear of muggers. That was fine by her, seeing as how she would love to kick some ass right about now. She didn't know where she was going, or what she planned on doing. All she knew was that she did not want to be at home if _he _was going to be there.

Shadow's first move was to climb to the rooftops. An old fire escape proved to be a perfect way for her to go. She moved quickly and silently, landing easily on the roof. Her eyes darted every which way to check for enemies, but she saw none. A small gust of wind made her face burn and the skin near her eyes tingle. The absence of her mask was strong now and it bothered her. She would have to make a replacement somehow.

She then took off, running in a straight line. She didn't even know where she was going, and she didn't really care. All she knew was that she was headed farther and farther from her home, and that was fine with her. She stopped after about 10 minutes of running. The patch she had some to was a dead end. She had reached Central Park, the perfect place to be alone at night on street level. It was also a good place to find a few rogue gangsters to beat up.

She slipped into the cover of the trees, trotting quietly along the sidewalks. No one else seemed to be out tonight. The stars and moon shone overhead, casting a calming glow about everything. She eventually found a bench that was seated comfortably in the shadows of the trees, and she decided to take a seat. Her elbows rested on her knees, and her head was clutched in her hands. She didn't know where to go or what to do.

"That bastard… Blame me and then run away from the problem for 2 years? God… I hate him…" She growled at herself angrily.

x.x.x.x

About a week passed before Shadow decided to return home. If she had gone home any earlier, she would have attacked Leonardo again. By waiting, she was able to calm down to the point where she could probably talk to him. Still, she approached her home with trepidation, still not wanting to talk to him at all.

As she reached the door, she hesitated before opening it. As she stepped in, she almost wished that she hadn't. The lair was in shambles. The entire main room up torn apart- the couch was shredded, the television was busted, and the ground itself was cracked everywhere. Parts of the wall were crumbling. Worst of all, there was blood. Everywhere she looked, there were ruddy smears on the wall. It obviously had happened over a few days ago, since it wasn't red anymore.

She took a step, but froze when she heard the whistling of a projectile. Her instincts kicked in as she dove to the side and rolled, pulling out her katanas defensively. In the wall behind her previous position, there was a sai. She walked curiously towards it and pulled it out, turning when she heard a voice. "Shadow? Shadow, you're back…"

Shadow turned to see Donatello step from the darkness, followed by Raphael and Michelangelo. Shadow walked towards them, throwing Raphael his weapon. He deftly caught it, and the motion drew her attention to him. He was covered in wounds and bandages, as were the other two. "What the hell happened, Raph? Where's Leo, and Master Splinter?"

At those words, she could visibly see all of them tense. "Well? Tell me!" She stepped forward and put her swords away, clenching her fists tightly.

Donatello sighed before he spoke. "It was Karai. She found our lair and attacked us. She… she killed…" He faltered, turning away. Raphael stepped up to finish.

"That bitch killed Masta Splinter and kidnapped Leo. We woulda gone afta her but we were pretty beat up." He gestured to his brothers, and it was obvious. They had been in no position to attack. "But we've waited and now you're back. Whaddya say to a little rescue?"

Shadow looked at her brothers before looking at the ground. Leonardo had been captured, Master Splinter had been killed… If she had stayed instead of running out when she did, would that have happened? Or would they be alright at the moment?

"Alright." She looked up, the fire and rage blazing once more in her eyes. This time, however, it was for Karai. "We are going to get Leo back, and kill that bitch. He's been too nice on her and this time it's ending. Either she dies, or I take her down with me." She glanced at each brother in turn, getting a nod from them. She turned suddenly, heading for the door. The others followed, a grin breaking out on their faces. Leonardo might be gone, but Danika was back.

As they ran through the sewers, the brothers let their sister lead. Until Leonardo was recovered, she was the most capable of leading them. She chose the shortest path through the underground tunnels, stopping at a hatch that she believed to be right near Karai's tower. An affirmative nod from Donatello told her that she was correct and she quickly scaled the ladder to push aside the manhole cover. The four siblings piled out and closed it after themselves, leaving it slightly askew for an emergency exit.

Donatello had his duffel with his, as always, and he pulled out his night vision goggles. Slipping them on as the group climbed the nearest fire escape, he turned back to peer at the tower. It seemed that the only people out were those that were on ground level near the main entrance. The Turtles knew other entrances, but since they had used them before… He turned to his siblings as they gathered on the roof. "She'll most likely have blocked off every entrance, or at least put alarms around. It'll take some precise and quick hacking on my part to get us in but-"

Shadow held up a hand. "It's fine Don. First, there are a few things I am going to say." She stepped back from them so she could see them all before speaking. "I've acted like a complete ass for a long time now, and I'm sorry. I don't know why you put up with me, but thank you. Secondly, I think I'll stop with the Shadow business, both as a hobby and as a name." Judging by their reactions, they all wanted to tell her that they knew all this and that it was ok. She sighed before continuing. "Lastly… I don't want any complaints about this… I'm getting Leo alone."

The others glanced at each other, worry and fear on their faces. "Donatello will concentrate on unlocking a path for me, as well as creating a distraction with you two. I will go in and get him and kill Karai while you hold off the rest of the Foot goonies." Her glare meant that nothing would change her mind, and they knew better than to try. With a sigh, they all agreed.

Raphael spoke. "I don't like it. I also wish I got a shot at that bitch, but I trust ya' judgment, Danika. I'm glad you're back. Go kill her and get Leo back." The other two nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's get goin'." Danika started towards the tower with the others in tow, moving quietly and quickly through the shadows until she reached the side of the imposing building. A panel there allowed Donatello access to work on the security. A shut off of anything major would alert Karai, so he had to figure out how to get around that. He eventually decided on a large diversion. A small back route would be unlocked for his sister, but a completely unlocked main path and a Turtle attack would be a much bigger problem.

After only a moment, Donatello stepped back. "Alright, in about a minute that door will open for you. Just follow it. You'll eventually find the chamber where Leo is most likely being held. Get him to us and then we can fight Karai." He turned back to the panel to hit something. "Meanwhile, we'll be at the front to distract them." When he turned back, she had already left. He put a hand to his brow. "She isn't going to listen, is she?"

Raphael chuckled. "That's Danika for ya'. She does was she wants, Donnie." He pulled out his blades and started for the main yard. "I've been itchin' fer revenge on the Foot, so let's go get us some." Michelangelo and Donatello followed their hothead brother to the front of the building, where alarms were starting to sound. The Foot ninja were swarming, trying to determine the cause. Their eyes soon fell on the three charging terrapins, and the battle began.

x.x.x.x

As soon as Donatello said that it was unlocked, Danika had charged into the side hall and begun her run towards the main chamber. She had to dodge only the occasional goon, all of which she quickly disabled. She found herself on the top floor quicker than she thought, but she was glad. The diminishing amount of ninja told her that her brothers had their hands full. Now was the perfect time to strike.

Pulling out a katana, Danika opened the door to Karai's chamber. It was empty, which was good. She slipped in quickly and started to look around. Leonardo wasn't in the main room, of course, but there had to be a back room somewhere. If Danika were in Karai's position, she would want her greatest enemy nearby to torture as she pleased. The only door she saw was the one behind the main 'throne' in the room, so that's where she headed.

When she reached it, she wasn't surprised to find it locked. A quick pick with a shuriken, along with a swift kick, fixed that problem. The door fell open, the sight within making Danika gasp slightly. Of course she imagined that Leonardo was somehow bound and beaten, but this was just horrible. Her eldest sibling was chained to the wall by his wrists. All his gear was in a pile to the side. Blood was everywhere, and the stench filled her nostrils quickly. The worst was how he looked though. His skin was covered in a myriad of bruises and cuts, and it looked like he had a cracked scute. His shell was in bad shape as well, but not nearly as bad as the rest of him.

Anger boiled up inside her when she saw what had been done to her brother. Gripping her sword tightly, she stepped forward. A single swing slashed both chains, letting Leonardo's arms both fall to the floor. A groan escaped him as he looked up. His left eye was swollen shut, so he peered from his right eye at his savior. His eye widened at the sight. "Danika? You… why are you here?"

Danika knelt next to her brother, gently gathering up his belongings and putting them back on him. His mask wouldn't fit over his eye, so she just tied it around his neck gently. She then leaned in and hugged him, firmly but delicately. "I'm saving you, idiot. We can duke it out later, just let me save you first." With that, she stood. A gentle tug on both of Leonardo's hands brought him stumbling to his feet. Danika's arm snaked around his waist to support him, as his went around her shoulders to hold himself up. The pair hobbled from the chamber, making it almost to the door of the main room before a voice behind them made them freeze.

"I knew you would come for him." Karai's icy voice pierced the near-silence as her thin form melted from the shadows. Danika turned to glare at her, noting the pleasure gleaming in her eyes. "As soon as one of my ninja told me that the other turtles were down front fighting, I knew that one of you had to be coming up here to fetch your brother." As she drew a sword, she began to advance. The way she moved reminded Danika of a snake- deadly and graceful.

Danika maneuvered herself so that she was between Leonardo and Karai. She pulled out one of her katanas and held it defensively. There was no way to support her brother and fight, so she gently helped him sit against the wall. "Don't move." She pulled her other sword as she stepped towards Karai, the women starting to circle each other. "Karai. This ends now. Leonardo has always given you a second chance, but that ends. You will not leave here alive."

Karai smirked as she too drew her other sword. Her agile feet moved silently over the ground, making her seem to hover like a cloud of death. "I believe you are mistaken, Turtle. It is you and your family that shall fall by my hand tonight!" Without warning, she lunged towards the gray-banded terrapin, her swords coming down hard against Danika's. Their blades moved faster than the average eye could follow, their feet ghosting over the ground almost as quickly.

Every lunge was parried, every jab was avoided. The pair was evenly matched, and each woman was fueled by their own motive. Karai wanted her enemies to die here and now, by her hand. She wanted revenge for her fallen father and she was going to get it. Danika wanted her family to live, and she would make sure that happened, even if she had to die to accomplish that.

The battle raged on for about 3 minutes before Danika saw a chance. She took it, and landed a long slash against Karai's back. While she screamed in pain, a hard side kick to the gut sent her flying into the wall. As the human collapsed, Danika advanced to strike the final blow. She didn't get a chance, however, before Karai launched herself upwards. The sudden attack allowed her to land a blow to Danika's arms, slicing horizontally across both at once. A cry of rage escaped the mutant as she sent another kick at her opponent.

The two raged on again, their blows managing to land. They became less and less worried about their own lives and more and more intent on taking the other's. Blood started spattering around them, dripping into puddles near their feet. Neither noticed the pain or blood loss as the fought. Danika managed to gain the upper hand through the use of a feint, and managed to slice twice across Karai's back once more. This time it was deeper, and her cry more anguished. Another hard kick to her gut sent her flying into the large chair at the other end of the room, collapsing both the chair and the thin wall behind it on top of the thin woman. She put her swords back into their sheaths, nodding once.

Satisfied that she would be down for a while, she turned her attention to Leonardo. He was groaning as he rested against the wall, obviously in pain from his week of torture. Getting him out was first priority- then she could come back and kill that bitch. She knelt down, once more helping her injured brother to his feet. A moan escaped him as he all but collapsed against her, his eyes fluttering open a bit as he grasped her carapace tightly. "Danika… I'm sorry I let our... family go through this…"

Danika silenced him with a look. "Now is not the time, Leo. We can make up later, when you're well enough for me to beat you up." Just as she reached the door, she felt the back of her neck tingle. Apparently Karai wasn't down as she thought. She turned, the situation processing instantly in her mind. There was no time to draw her swords, and no time to get out the door. She did the only thing she could do- turn to protect her brother.

For a split second, she felt nothing. Then a searing pain ripped through her torso, wrenching a cry from her body. Both of Karai's blades found themselves buried in her left side, pushed most of the way through her torso. She wouldn't be surprised to find the tip sticking out the other side of her body, but she didn't want to look.

She couldn't move without dropping Leonardo, so she started raising her foot to kick Karai away. Her chance was taken however, when a sword seemed to magically stab Karai in the side as well. She screamed and stumbled backwards, yanking the blade from her body. It was one of Shadows swords, but she hadn't drawn it. Looking back at her brother, she saw that he had managed to hold himself up enough to grab one of her swords and stab Karai.

A smirk crossed Danika's face, though she was too weak to hold it for long. Stumbling forward, she wrenched the blades from her side, biting back a scream of pain as she did. Her own sword was kicked back towards Leonardo, who was supporting himself against the wall. Spitting blood from her mouth, Danika stopped before Karai as she knelt weakly on the floor. "Pathetic." She wanted to kick her, but there was no honor in that. "You have plagued my family long enough, Karai. We have suffered by your hand, and that of your father. Many times have we been near death. It is time for it to end. In your own home, by your own swords. Die, bitch."

Raising the blades above her, Danika stabbed them downwards in a single stabbing motion, both of them piercing through the thin body of the woman before her. She flinched, a bit of blood spurting from her wounds. An odd look crossed her face as she fell to the side, her blood pooling around her. As soon as Danika was sure that she was dead, that her family's nightmare was over, she staggered to the side. Her wounds were bleeding terribly, and she was starting to become dizzy. If she didn't staunch it, she could die. A glance back at Leonardo, however, stopped that thought. Getting him out was more important that anything.

Her footsteps became more erratic as she walked, but she made it to her brother. Her weakening arms made him lean against her as she led him from the tower. The stairs were horrid to them, but they made it down. Just as their feet touched the ground, their brothers charged in the front. The front grounds and main atrium were littered with the unconscious forms of countless Foot Ninja. As soon as the trio approached, Danika smiled.

Donatello and Michelangelo hurried forward to grab their brother as Raphael reached for his sister. Their eyes all met and instantly they broke out with angry cries. Raphael's voice was louder than the others. "What the fuck, Danika? How are you still walking?" He turned to Donatello. "We need to get her home, now!" She collapsed then, forcing him to pick her up. Her head lolled against his shoulder as her hand wrapped around his neck.

As they stood there, Danika's voice reached them. "N-no… Take me… over there, by the wall…" She weakly pointed in the direction of the wall, where two torches stood. Raphael raised an eyebrow, but Leonardo instantly shook his head.

"No." He coughed before continuing, the effort straining him. "There is no way… I'm letting you do that."

Danika just laughed. "I would like to… to see you stop me." Raphael was confused by what they were talking about, but he gently walked her towards the wall. He stopped when she indicated, a puzzled look crossing his face. The youngest brothers tried to stop Leonardo, but he was intent on stopping her. They thus helped his walk to the other two.

Danika pulled out a sword, weakly looking up at Raphael. Her blood was soaking both of them. She held the sword over the flame, and it was then that the realization dawned on the others. Both Raphael and Michelangelo instantly protested the idea, the hothead going so far as to back away from the flame. Danika growled and tried to reach, but the pain of her stretched muscles made her cry out and fall back against Raphael's chest.

Donatello spoke quietly, but it drew the attention of the others. "It may be the only way… With how much blood she's lost already, she might not make the return trip to the lair. It'll most likely knock her out, but it will also save her life." He hated to admit it, but it was true. She had obviously lost blood, seeing as how she was nearly unconscious now. Her and Raphael never admitted their weakness.

The others were stunned silent, but Leonardo broke the quiet. "I'll do it." The others only stared, so he repeated himself. "I'll do it. Walk me over there." The youngest brothers shrugged at each other before they complied, helping their oldest brother hobble towards the pair of hotheads. Leonardo took the sword from Danika, holding it firmly. "I'm sorry…" He turned and held the blade in the flame until Donatello said it was good. He immediately moved it to the wounds on his sister's body before pressing the metal onto the skin.

As soon as the heat touched her skin, a scream of agony ripped itself from her throat. It broke the guys' hearts to hear it, but Leonardo couldn't move from his position. She only lasted a moment before going limp in Raphael's arms. Leonardo wanted to look away, but forced himself to pay attention. He did as Donatello instructed, pulling the blade away when finished. He let it cool before gently sliding it back into the sheath.

Donatello nodded. "That worked well, I think. We still need to get you two home. We only have a few injuries here and there. You two need attention and you need it now." The group turned and headed from the building just as sirens approached. Part of the front of the building had caught fire, thanks to Michelangelo, and it would hopefully burn down before the fireman could stop it. They moved as quickly as possible towards their home, but it was still much slower than they would have liked.

Eventually, the group made it safely back to their home. It was still in shambles, but they headed for the lab anyway. It was relatively undamaged, as were most of the smaller rooms, and they were grateful for that fact. Donatello worked to make room for the injured turtles, who were gently placed on two cots. They were next to each other in the corner, so Donatello could clean the rest of the lab while watching them.

As the three relatively uninjured siblings patched themselves up, Leonardo turned to look at his sister. Though she wasn't aware of anything, she looked to be in great pain. Her breathing was shallow and she seemed tense, but she was alive, nonetheless. Leonardo tentatively reached out and placed his hand on hers, his rough fingers gently stroking hers. He was surprised to find them relatively smooth. The bottoms were, of course, extremely tough, but she had managed to keep her skin relatively soft.

His eyes roamed her body, taking in every detail. She had gained many new scars while he was gone, many of them on her forearms and lower legs. Obviously, she had been fighting. His eyes, however, were drawn to her wrist. The band of gray material that wrapped around her wrist was sliced partially, and it was starting to fall off. He shifted it aside without ripping it off, and almost gasped at the sight underneath.

Her entire wrist, both top and bottom, were covered in a myriad of lines. The skin was oddly colored, meaning that there were scars. A large pang of guilt struck him. He could only think of one thing that would have upset her enough to do that, and it was him. Regardless of what it was exactly, it was something he'd done or not done. He shifted the material back and reclined in his bed more comfortably. He tried to meditate, but his battered body had other ideas and he instantly drifted to sleep.


	5. Epilogue

For a few days, Leonardo and Shadow remained bedridden. The first was by their choice, the second and third by Donatello's orders. He refused to let them up, and had Michelangelo and Raphael watch them when he couldn't. On the fourth day, however, both of them refused to stay in bed anymore. The morning was early for them, but they didn't care. Leonardo arose first. He turned to look at Danika, as he did every morning. He found her asleep, her shell turned towards him. He sighed. For the past 3 days, she hadn't spoken a word to anyone.

He sighed as he stood, hobbling towards the dojo. He didn't intend to train just yet, but some meditation was in order for him today. He lit a small group of candles and sat down near them, his eyes closing as he moved into the lotus position. He stayed there through the sounds of his family getting up, at which point he hobbled out to join them in the kitchen. They all glanced up with a smile as he took his seat.

Michelangelo smiled brightly at Leonardo as he handed him a plate. This morning was eggs and bacon, along with some toast. He knew that Leonardo had gotten up, seeing as how his bed was empty, so he had even made him some green tea. Leonardo accepted the breakfast with a grin as he sat down, gratefully sipping the warm drink. Breakfast passed quickly for them, and afterwards they all went to their own activities- Michelangelo to gaming, Raphael to his punching bag, Donatello to the garage to fix up the Battle Shell.

Leonardo headed back to the dojo to meditate more, but stopped in the doorway. He just couldn't bring himself to meditate at the moment. He needed to speak to his sister, and he needed to do it now. Turning, he headed back into Donatello's lab to speak with her. He paused, however, when he saw the empty bed. He stepped back and looked up and, sure enough, her room door was closed. He sighed and headed to the couch to watch Michelangelo game.

The next hour passed slowly, but the silence was broken when Raphael approached Leonardo with an idea, or rather, a command. "We're goin' up to the farmhouse. Masta Splinter would wanna be… buried there, I think, and it's nice ta get some fresh air." The others agreed and dispersed to start packing their things for a week away from home.

A simple phone call to April was all it took for her to come and get the gang. They all piled into April's van, except Raphael. He took his cycle, of course. The trip up was long and rather silent, except for Donatello and April discussing a few matters of rebuilding the lair, and Michelangelo's constant attempts to get a response from Danika. They eventually reached the farmhouse, and everyone piled out quickly. They put away their things and then dispersed, doing what they wanted to get rid of some stress. Before sundown, the group held a proper funeral for Master Splinter. A carved stone was placed as a marker for him.

After that, everyone seemed to migrate towards the house together. April and Michelangelo started preparing dinner while the others sat around and chatted. It was then that Leonardo noticed Danika was missing. He left the house and followed his instincts, eventually coming to the same small pier upon which Danika sat do many months ago. Her feet were dangling over the edge and her gaze was fixed upon the water. As Leonardo got a better look at her, his eyes widened.

All her gear and bandages- which Donatello would not approve of- were unceremoniously lying in a heap. As he approached, his eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her body. There were scars everywhere, yes, but some stood out. Particularly those that appeared in areas that her gear should have covered. An odd carving of sorts seemed to appear on her plastron where her belt normally fell. Her wrists and the sides of her knees were slashed multiple times in a random pattern. The scars seemed to vary, but there was also fresh blood…

Covering the last few feet to the end of the small dock, Leonardo knelt down and instantly spotted the small knife in Danika's hands. There was blood on it as well. He gently took it from her and set it aside before grabbing her bandages. The clean spots were used to wipe the fresh blood from her still form. She didn't move at all, except for the occasional tear that would roll down her cheek. Once she was clean, Leonardo took a deep breath and spoke.

"Danika. I know there is too much to say for me to get it all out at once… But I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't seem like much now, since everything's happened… But I did learn a lot from my experiences. I can be a better leader for our family, and a better brother to you. I want you all to be safe and happy…" He gently took one of her hands into his, his fingers gently tracing the fresh wounds on her wrist. A small gaze up at her face drew a sigh from him. "Please don't do this, Danika…"

A mumble from his sister made him pause. After a moment, she spoke again. "It's my fault." She turned to him, and somehow managed to meet his gaze. "I didn't help you calm down after the battle. I drove you away, pushed you out. I attacked you and left, and then you got captured and… Master Splinter… If I would have stayed, he wouldn't have died!" The pain in her voice brought tears to Leonardo's eyes. He pulled her into a tight hug, which she returned. As she sat back, Leonardo stared at her firmly.

"No. Don't think like that! It was my own fault and my own reactions. I'm supposed to be the leader. His death is on my hands, not yours! Anything I said about the battle, about you, I didn't mean it. You're my sister… You probably understand me more than anyone does, and I'm sorry that I didn't see that before." He broke their gaze and turned instead to glance at her wounds. The odd line of scratches on her plastron turned out to be small words written in a straight line. Failure. Burden. Weak. Useless. Murderer. His attention, however, was drawn to a small, almost unnoticeable design on her upper left scute. Upon closer examination, he discovered that it was a kanji. Two of them, actually, intertwined with each other. One was 'lion' and the other was 'steel'.

Without looking at his gaze, Danika could tell that he was looking her over. "Steel. A metal that can either be hard enough to strike down foes or conductive enough to carry a current. Lion. A common meaning of the name Leonardo." The last sentence was barely more than a whisper, but Leonardo managed to catch it. He gently traced the small carving with a finger, tears in his eyes starting to block his vision. He wiped them away and looked up at her.

"Everything on your stomach is wrong. You are a success as many thing. You carry us. You are stronger than you think. Without you, our team would be incomplete. Most importantly, you are not responsible for his death." As he spoke, he could see her face tightening. Another tear rolled down her cheek as she suddenly stood. She hastily put her gear back on, though the bandages lay in the pile they were dropped in and her mask remained around her neck.

"You may think so, but does the opinion of one person really matter?" Her voice broke slightly as she spoke, her gaze turning over the water once more. As she turned to leave, Leonardo also stood.

"Please… wait…" His hand gently grabbed hers, stopping her movement. For a moment, they just stood there silently. Then he spoke again. "The opinion of one does matter, Danika. Especially if that one is the person most dear to you in all the world." With those words, she broke down. A sob escaped her as she turned and buried her face into Leonardo's neck, her hands desperately holding onto him. He embraced her as well, the tears flowing from his eyes as he held her.

Through her sobs, Danika managed to choke out a few words. "Leo… Leo, I-I'm so s-sorry… I just f-feel so l-lost and helpless… and… and I know my family loves me… but… I'm just… For 2 years, I was so alone!" She clutched even more tightly at his carapace, and he returned the favor. His right hand gently stroked her side for a moment until her sobs died down a bit. When they did, his hand glided to her face. He slipped a finger under her chin, gently forcing her to look at him.

"Danika. You are never alone. Our family loves you. Our friends love you. I love you, more than… more than anything. Don't ever feel alone…" Their gaze held for only a second before it broke. They acting on instinct and moved as one, their mouths connecting firmly but softly. It only lasted a brief moment, but the feelings conveyed through that simple kiss were more than any they could have said to each other. After, Danika once more buried her face in the crook of Leonardo's neck. Her sobbing died down, but she still clutched tightly to him.

Not wanting to stay outside all night, Leonardo bent slightly so he could scoop Danika into his arms. She instantly adjusted her grip, trying to make it easier on him. They were both still injured, after all. As he walked, she gently reached up to pull down his mask as well. He let her, smiling as he stole another kiss. The pair walked up to the porch, reaching it just as the sun finally sank beneath the horizon.

Donatello saw them come in, a slight smile crossing his face at the delicate blush spreading over the pair's cheeks. "Dinner will be ready in maybe 10 minutes?" The others were spread about the room, all minding their own business. All of them, however, stole a peek at the pair as they headed up the stairs, Leonardo still carrying Danika.

Michelangelo quirked an eyebrow as he looked at Raphael. "Is she in that much pain that an injured bro has to carry her?" He just received a knowing look and smack from his older brother.

As the pair reached the attic, Danika slid out of Leonardo's grasp. She clambered quickly out the window, her eldest brother hot on her tail. They both slid onto the roof, leaning back against the chimney. In each other's arms, they thought over the past few years. It had been hard, and they had almost not made it. Because they were a family, because they loved each other, they had made it out mostly unscathed. Of course the death of their father would be hard to deal with, but they had each other.

As the stars began to appear in the crisp night sky, Danika snuggled up against her brother, her protector, her lover. He held her tightly as they both promised to never become shadows again.

Yeah. Cheesy. Woo… that was really long… Hope y'all like it!

And I know it's weird to use the words 'brother' and 'lover' in the same line… But meh! xD

And the last sentence- Danika's alter ego was called the Shadow and Leo was the 'ghost of the jungle', which is kinda the same thing…


End file.
